The way Oprah proclaims her love for bread is how I feel about cheese. I have tried to cut it out, but I really miss it.
I know there are a lot of health conscious people here who may have struggled with this too. Are there any good substitutes out there? I would really appreciate any hints or help you can offer.
I love bread and cheese. I am doomed.
My strategy is to eat only excellent cheese in moderate to small amounts. Many europeans indulge in cheese on a regular basis and are healthy/fit. I don’t think cheese is that big of a health issue. Enjoy it!
what’s wrong with cheese? it’s a good source of protein and calcium. and it’s so so good. maybe there are other things you should cut out of your diet instead of the miracle that is cheese.
OP - are you hooked on gooey cheesy dishes like pizza or do you just like slices of many kinds of more gourmet cheese? I think doschicos strategy works well with good cheese - slice it small or very thin and enjoy it in moderation with some raw onion, mustard, pesto, fig jelly, or whatever you like on some thin crispy crackers. That won’t be bad for you.
For me the problem with cheese is not so much the cheese but rather my desire to have it all the time. if I only wanted a little cheese once in a while, it would be ok, but I was eating it as part of almost every meal, plus snacks.
Too much fat. I would like to switch to a lower fat version, or one of the veggie versions to cut back a little.
Of course there are other things to cut out too, but those don’t call my name five times a day! I’m just looking for a good substitute to bring into the mix.
darn it. now i want some cheese.
What kind of cheese(s) do you gravitate towards?
No low fat cheese! Just no!
Get GOOD, real cheese. Eat it with fruit like grapes, sliced apples or pears, so the cheese isn’t the only star of the plate. It’s about balance.
I would melt cheese on cheese. I feel your pain.
Yes, get the expensive cheese. Then you will want to savor each small costly bite and hopefully eat less.
^ listen to the woman who named herself after cheese! 
My D went through a few month period where she wanted to eliminate dairy. She tried all the cheese substitutes and the best one in her and my opinion was the plant based products by Daiya.
They are really quite good but only when melted. They also have a line of frozen pizza which tastes pretty much like any other frozen cheese pizza. They have various flavors of cheese shredded or as slices. They also sell blocks but we really did not like the taste of it unmelted so didn’t purchase the blocks.
I love cheese as well, with certain kinds of cheeses (like Sardo), give me a piece of fruit and a hunk of that and I was in hog heaven. Stay away from the low fat cheeses, many of them have all kinds of crap, including sugar, in them to make them palatable, and quite honestly with everything that has come out about fat, the low fat/part skim cheeses are not any more healthy.
I agree with others, learn to eat cheese with other things in smaller proportions. Have a thin wedge of a tasty cheese with an apple or other fruit, have a small piece of cheese with a piece of whole grain french bread or a baguette. If you eat small portions, you can have it several times a day and be ahead of the game.
The other question is with your current cheese eating habits, are you seeing health issues? Are you overweight, have problems with lactose, diatbetes and so forth, that may be from eating cheese? If you are eating a lot but are otherwise healthy, then cut back the portion size a bit. Obviously, if you have health issues that can be traced to the cheese, then cut it back if you have been eating too much.
I can see substituting fake cheese if you have a dairy allergy or are vegan but if not you’re giving up some nutritional value and adding carbs with not much reduction in calories and a HUGE reduction in taste and pleasure. Not to mention the lengthy ingredient list in the fake stuff. I don’t see the benefits.
Here’s nutritional labels for a comparison:
Maybe you need to share what kind/how often/how much you eat cheese so we can help you with alternatives - or to really see if you are eating “too much”.
Depending on your quantity/quality… (are you eating pound a day or an ounce with each meal? Is it a quality whole dairy cheese or Velveeta and Kraft American cheese slices or nacho cheese?)
I would think the think to watch is what you are eating the cheese with - crackers or bread everytime? A bag of tortilla chips? Or do you pair it with fruit/veggies? A glass of wine? Is it a high salt cheese? Cottage cheese?
So for the most part, in the morning I would eat a piece of toast with a slice of a name brand like Land of Lakes American. Many dinners or soups I would make always seem to have some shaved Parmesan. I do use the real stuff, good quality and grate it myself. If I eat cheese straight, like with some fruit I use a good quality hard cheese like a Manchego or a cheddar. I like mozzarella on tomato with basil or mozzarella on eggplant or chicken or pizza or any place it lands melted LOL. I don’t eat huge quantities at a time, just several small servings and for sure daily.
My cholesterol was high last time I had it checked (HDL was in the normal range, LDL was about 25 points higher than doc would like). She suggested increasing exercise, losing some weight and cutting out fat, sugar and carbs. No surprise there.
For me the straight sugar part is easy, it isn’t my particular vice. But the fat from cheese is what I think I was overdoing, and of course the carbs. I do eat whole grain, but have cut back on the quantity. Should mention I am not a red meat fan, so I eat very little of it.
Get rid of the american cheese. Go for a sharp cheddar or gruyere. You can use just a few shavings (vegetable peeler or cheese plane and get more flavor and satisfaction than that american.
Fresh mozzarella isn’t that bad due to the water content.
So your goal is to lower your cholesterol?
It sort of sounds like not only do you love cheese but you love everything covered with cheese. So some places you can start:
Have you done the other things recommended? Added in more exercise? Lost some weight?
Also, I would recommend some food tracking. With one of the apps like MyFitnessPal you can track what you eat and SEE the nutrients/non-nutrients you are eating. Too many carbs? Too much salt? Too little of something? Food tracking helps you see not only what you are eating calorie wise but nutrient wise. It’s so, so eye opening.
I strongly doubt that your cheese consumption is a problem. And BTW, @musicprnt, cheese is perfectly fine for diabetics.
I think it’s pretty clear that all of the old nonsense about eating “low fat” is just that. The more “low fat” Americans ate and the more grains they ate the fatter they got. Eat real food. Avoid processed monstrosities like margarine.
If you are trying to lose weight and your cheese calories are making that a problem, then sure, cut back.
“the more grains they ate”
Well, the italians and french love their pasta, polenta, risotto, cornetti, baguettes, croissants so I’d argue that is less of an issue than many think but that’s the low carb thread. 